Takedown
by Inspire-Smiles
Summary: Calleigh had a difficult day at work and lets loose her anger at the gym...But what followed wasn't part of her weekly routine...EC...If you like John Hagen don't read...FINAL CHAPTER IS UP! Warning...angsty and violent at times!
1. The Gym

A/N – I got this idea from watching clips of The Best Defense on YouTube. I'm not sure how many chapters story or not. This is my first fanfic so please don't be too harsh…Please let me know if I should continue or not. Reviews are awesome!

Spoilers – Best Defense (05x2)

"_I didn't realize evidence took sides!"_

Calleigh hit the punching bag repeatedly alternating between kicks and punches. Her anger built as she thought about that idiot John Hagen.

"Of course," Calleigh muttered as she swiftly dodged the heavy bag, "I didn't think he was so irritating this morning."

She rammed the punching bag so hard it almost swung over on its chain holding it to the ceiling. "I. Hate…" not really recognizing what she detested. "I.Hate.This!" she growled in between punches.

At the doorway of the small gym, down the road from the lab was Eric Delko. His eyes were raised and his face a mixture of shock and amusement at seeing Calleigh here. His mouth almost dropped open as he watched her whack the punching bag with a force he didn't think she possessed. Calleigh whammed the bag one more time, muscles flexing impressively and she stopped, breathing heavily. Turning to grab a drink from her water bottle she stopped when she saw Eric observing her from the doorway.

"Whoa…" Eric commented. "Bad day?"

"You have no idea," Calleigh replied panting.

"Want to tell me about it?" he asked.

"Nope."

"So…um…" Eric asked feeling uncomfortable with the silence. "Are you gonna keep working out?"

"Why, you want to do something, Delko?" she teased flirtatiously.

"Are you accepting, Duquesne?" he shot back with a grin from ear to ear.

"Depends on what we're gonna do," Calleigh said walking over to him.

"Okay…want to go out for dinner and drinks-" Eric asked but was cut short when Detective Hagen bustled through the door knocking Calleigh over onto Eric.

Calleigh glanced over at Hagen, her body tensing and the easy smile leaving her face. Eric noticed the change in the atmosphere as Hagen opened his mouth to speak.

"Going to a bar, Calleigh? Following in your alcoholic father's footsteps I see," Hagen sneered.

Eric's fists clenched tightly and he exhaled quickly, expressing his anger through his breath. Calleigh sent him a warning with her eyes, lightly covered his fisted hands with hers and walked over to John. Eric stood rooted to the spot ready to intervene if needed.

"What do you want, Hagen?" she said coldly, stressing his last name.


	2. Provoked

**A/N Thanks for reviewing! Here's the next chapter. I'm sorry because its mostly talk but I didn't think Calleigh would snap that easily in the show.**

"I think," Calleigh snapped pausing for effect as the stepped slowly towards him, "that you should seriously stop right there, and think about what you're going to say next." "_Come on Cal keep your temper under control." _She thought to herself, _"I'm just going to scare him a little and if he keeps insulting me or my family I'll put him in his place."_

Hagen laughed maniacally almost and smirked. "What are you going to do? You are just some ditsy blonde chick that has slept her way up to the top. You don't deserve a badge or a gun; you use your stupid accent and good looks to get whatever you want." His tone became mocking, "Oh, you might break a nail if you do anything! What have I got to be afraid of?"

No more than 3 feet away from the detective, Calleigh spoke menacingly, "I'm warning you, you dumbass, make one more comment about me or my family and you'll be counting scars bruises till you're 70."

John scoffed and taunted, "That wouldn't be good for your job, Cal. I'd press charges and your superiors won't be happy. Of course, who'd pay the tab for your father's drinking then? Well, seeing as its you, you slut, all you would have to do is get out the leather and you get your job back, right?"

Calleigh stepped forward and kicked Hagen square in the gut. As he doubled over in pain, she lifted her elbow snapping his head back, sending him reeling on the hard mats on the gym floor.

"Calleigh!" Eric called. "You have got to stop! He will press charges for assault!" he warned running over to her.

Calleigh stuck out her hand, stopping Eric from intervening as she watched the dim-witted detective get back up. "I will stop after I put this fool in his place!" At that Calleigh swiftly stepped in front of John Hagen and dodged a wild punch. Hagen was flailing his arms everywhere, desperately trying to make contact with the petit blondes body. Calleigh, stuck her foot in-between John's huge feet and side-stepped him, kicking his foot from under him. The man lay panting on the ground with the CSIs foot on his chest.

"You're not going to press charges, are you Hagen?" Calleigh asked sweetly.

"Like hell, I am!" the man retorted.

She sunk her fist into his stomach, hard. "No, your not," she answered and with that she got up, grabbed her stuff, grabbed a shocked Eric by the wrist and pulled him out the gym door.

"So, where do you want to go for dinner?" Calleigh questioned innocently, giggling at the befuddled look on her friends face.

**Review please!**


	3. Dinner

**A/N Sorry guys! I was on vacation to Montana this week. This is a short kinda fluffy chapter. Lots of conversation, I tried to keep it as realistic as possible. Chapters 4 and 5 coming very soon! I also started a new fic called "All A Game". Look for it soon! Thanks for your awesome reviews!**

"Ummm…" Eric stuttered.

"Hey Eric? Eric?" Calleigh called out. "Hey Scuba Boy you in there?"

"Yeah, I'm fine Calleigh," sputtered regaining his composure, "Calleigh what happened in there?"

Calleigh's face fell. "Look why don't we go to my house and we can eat…and talk," she sighed.

They arrived at Calleigh's place and quickly made their way inside. The two decided on pasta and silently started preparing dinner. After Calleigh put the pasta in two bowls, Eric put his hands on her shoulders and lightly spun her around to face him.

"Okay Calleigh," Eric said softly, "talk to me now."

"It's nothing Eric, he pissed me off and I hit him! It's no big deal!"

"It _is _a big deal Cal," he said gently, determined not to let the frustration seep into his voice. "It takes a lot to make you that angry ad even then you _never ever _hit people. Just open up Calleigh! That's all I'm asking! Talk to me!" he pleaded.

Eric took her hands in his and a look of confusion passed over his handsome features when he saw her wince. Turning her hands over, Eric stared at her bleeding, blistered, cut hands.

"Cal–" Eric started but stopped when Calleigh turned away, not wanting to see the disappointment on her best friend's face.

"Calleigh, we have to bandage this, don't even think about finishing dinner! I don't even want to know how this happened!" Eric ordered.

"Eric, relax! I'm fine! It's just a little cut!" Calleigh countered.

"Calleigh Duquesne!" Eric warned. "I'm your best friend Calleigh! Why can't you just let me help you?" Eric asked unable to restrain his frustration.

Realizing he wasn't going to give up, she sighed. "Fine Eric. Bandages are in the left cupboard. Do what you want, I won't say anything," she said resignedly.

"Even if I –" he broke off, turning her to face him again and covered her lips with his for a brief, sweet kiss.


	4. Simple Gestures

**A/N Hi again! I didn't expect this chapter to come so soon. I had some writer's block on this chapter so it's not one of my best ones. I don't know how long this story is going to be but keep reading! -CsI-aDdIcTed**

Calleigh looked shocked.

"Look, Calleigh, I can't justify what I just did but I am not going to apologize either. I need you to see that I care about you more than a friend and you need to talk about…stuff. It's like shaking a pop bottle and then opening it. It explodes, and that's exactly what happened today. You bottled everything inside and then you just snapped."

"I…I…Eric I wasn't going to get mad at you for kissing me. Honestly, I…let's sit down."

Eric grabbed the bandages from the cupboard and he and Calleigh sat down on the black leather couch.

"Eric I…What…Why…Oh good lord I cant even think straight," Calleigh mumbled, "well, I am not upset at you for kissing me. I'm glad…I mean, I feel the same way but –" Calleigh stopped.

"But I was afraid of rejection and being hurt again," she said quickly and almost inaudibly, desperately trying to hide her weakness from Eric.

Eric saw right through her façade and had heard her "confession". He was hurt but he knew that she was struggling with herself. At least she was opening up to him, which was the first step. Taking her hand in his he held it for a second then starting bandaging her wounds.

"Cal, I would never ever hurt you," Eric reassured her, "and I'm glad you feel the same way about me but I don't want to take things and faster than what you're ready for. I'm willing to wait, if it means you'll be happy."

Calleigh scooted closer to Eric and took hold of his hand. Laying her head on his shoulder she whispered, "Eric, that means more to me than anything."

Her simple gestures surprised him. She hadn't expected her to be so forward. Eric enveloped her in a warm hug and that pure, caring action replaced all words.

As they pulled apart, Calleigh, knowing what Eric was going to ask, quickly said, "Let me explain about… about everything."

"Y'know my dad has a drinking problem, he _is _an alcoholic. Remember that case he worked on? The one with the screwdriver and the couple?"

Eric nodded, "The one Hagen was working on too right? Where I examined the car and he said that the evidence wasn't important." Setting her other hand down he placed the remainder of the bandages on the coffee table and looked up at her signaling for her to continue.

Calleigh's face hardened, "Yea, that's the one. Well, I confronted him about the seatbelt and he insulted my father. So I stopped dating him, _no one _insults my family. We are not perfect people but we do have feelings. Now every time I see him, he is always insulting me and my family. I wouldn't care as much if it was just me but my family has nothing to do with this!"

Calleigh pulled her knees up to her chest and started rocking slowly. "Today I just snapped. I lost control. I wish that –"

She was interrupted by a hard knock on the dark wood door of her house.


	5. Rude Interruptions

A/N Sorry. Sorry. Sorry! Terribly sorry about the HUGE wait. I actually wrote the chapter and then the computer deleted it! So whatever! Here it is…its not as great as the old one was…damn!! Oh well enjoy and review please…they make my day!

-Serena (CsI-AdDiCtEd)

Rude Interruptions

The two CSIs looked at each other and then looked at the door.

"Calleigh! Open the damn door!"

"Go to hell, Hagen! I'm not talking to you anymore!" Calleigh yelled.

"I'm your boyfriend! I have a right to get inside!" Hagen shouted.

"You are NOT my boyfriend anymore John! Get the hell outta here!"

"I swear to god, Calleigh, I will break down the fucking door!" Hagen threatened.

Calleigh shot Eric a look that clearly said "stay out of this". Sitting silently on Calleigh's black leather couch he watched her get up to open the heavy chestnut door.

"What in god's name do you want Hagen?" Calleigh snapped as the detective stepped inside.

"I want you Cal," Hagen slurred.

"You're drunk! Get out now!" Calleigh demanded.

Within a split second, Hagen grabbed Calleigh by the hair and threw her down against the hard tile floor. He started kicking her middle relentlessly. Without giving either Calleigh or Eric a chance to react, he grabbed her by the collar and lifted her off the floor. Snapping her head back with a sharp uppercut and she went flying across the floor again. This time Eric was ready. Running over to Hagen, he delivered a punch that sent him back through the open door. After slamming and bolting the door shut, he quickly breezed over to Calleigh and gently picked her up. Carrying her over to the bed, he softly set her down on top of the comforter.

Eric kissed her on the top of her head and moved to leave her room. Calleigh grabbed his hand weakly.

"Don't go."

"Cal…" Eric said.

"Please," Calleigh insisted.

"Okay but Cal, we should get you to the hospital," Eric intoned reasonably.

"No."

"Calleigh."

"Eric, please," she repeated, "I don't have to go to the hospital, I'm fine."

"Calleigh, we just had this conversation."

"Fine, you look at my injuries and I'll call in sick tomorrow for both of us. Deal?" Calleigh compromised.

"Deal."

Calleigh undid the black buttons of her collared shirt, revealing a gray tank top underneath, hugging her petit figure. Slowly Eric's eyes widened in shock as he saw what Hagen just did.


	6. Damage Done, Alliances Made

**A/N Hi guys! Sorry for the slow slow slow updates! I have been on vacation…so here is Chapter 6. I finally figured out where I wanted to go with this story. Reviews are really appreciated…**

Chapter 6 Damage Done, Alliances Made

Eric could only see what was outside the tank top but even then, it was awful. Hand prints were on her forearms and blue blotches were beginning to scatter her face. Eric's eyes trailed down to her stomach. Deep purple bruising was barely visible from under her tank top and a small cut from Hagen's fist was bright red on her left cheek.

"Oh Cal…" Eric trailed off.

"It looks worse than it is and it doesn't hurt," Calleigh responded for both their benefits.

"Calleigh, can you roll over?"

Splotches of colour decorated her pale back as well.

"Calleigh, there is no way in hell you are going to work tomorrow."

"Yes Eric, we've already established that fact," Calleigh said dryly.

"But…you are going to work," Calleigh insisted.

"What? Our deal was that neither of us are going in," Eric recalled.

"Just go tomorrow, Eric," Calleigh said exasperatedly. "It's just going to make me feel guilty if you stay and besides…Horatio will know something's up if we _both_ don't show up."

"Fine," Eric agreed. He hovered around her bed not knowing what to do or say next.

"Go home and sleep!" Calleigh said laughing as she motioned for him to leave with her hands.

Eric left Calleigh's apartment chuckling and as he went through he heard her call him.

"Wait!" she yelled to him.

"What?" he asked.

"Can you take my key and lock the door?" Calleigh questioned, still laughing from before.

"Sure…where is it?" Eric wondered.

"On the dresser, next to my hair brush," she explained.

"Alright…good night…do _not _come to the lab tomorrow."

"Yes mom," Calleigh replied snickering.

**Meanwhile… (Cue dramatic music)**

Detective Hagen stormed into the IAB office.

"Stetler!" Hagen roared, positively steaming.

Rick Stetler, a tad startled rose from his not-so-comfy chair. "Detective Hagen. What can I do for you?"

"I want an investigation into the lab!" he demanded angrily.

"And on what basis would we need an investigation at CSI?" Stetler asked calmly though his insides began to prickle with evil joy.

"Duquesne assaulted me and Delko may be in an intimate relationship."

"Alright. Good enough for me!" Rick said giddily.

"I wasn't quite thinking about just an investigation," Hagen hinted.

"So, what is your idea?" Stetler questioned.

Hagen explained his not-very-well-thought-out plan to the sergeant.

"Besides the fact that you're are not very smart, and that we will have to watch for little details, I actually like it…it will put heat on the lab and I will have revenge on Horatio Caine," Stetler said evilly while Hagen was staring at him dumbly.

"Two days from now, IAB investigations start. Be ready and don't make any mistakes!! No fingerprints, DNA, nothing! Anything that could lead to Caine and his team finding out will screw the whole thing up!!" Stetler ordered.

"Fine."

**Two days later… (A/N I shifted the timeline so both CSI: Miami and CSI: New York are in their third season. 10-7 never happened though.)**

The CSI team was gathered in the break room. Calleigh and Eric were on the blue armchairs, Horatio was leaning against the counter, Alexx was on the sofa and Ryan was waiting for his breakfast near the microwave.

"So, Calleigh are you feeling better?" Alexx asked.

"Much better, thank you Alexx," Calleigh replied suddenly feeling uncomfortable and quickly changed the subject.

"I talked to Stella yesterday and she told me all about their action-packed day…there was a drug raid and then the perps came back to steal their coke by pretending there was a gas leak. Mac, Stella and Hawkes stayed inside the building as everyone was evacuated and took care of the bad guys," Calleigh said excitedly, "_and _Danny and Adam were held hostage and were rescued by the heroic Flack. Oh, and Danny and Lindsay got it together and Mac and Peyton are going to London…together!"

"Hey! That's great! Finally. Everyone knows that Danny and Lindsay were made for each other! It's about time!" Eric congratulated.

"Mac and Peyton hmmm?" Ryan asked. "I never would've expected that."

Alexx and Calleigh stared at him. "They've been a couple for a quarter of a year, Ryan!"

"When I was down there, I always wondered how Stella and Mac would do as a couple," Horatio said speaking for the first time.

"You don't think that –" Ryan was cut off by the entrance of Stetler into the break-room.

"IAB investigations. Who's first?" Stetler said.

"On what grounds?" Horatio asked with evident dislike.

"An anonymous source that one of your CSIs had an altercation with a detective on the force."

"I'll go first," Alexx volunteered begrudgingly.

"Let the interviews begin."


	7. Interrogations

**A/N Hi guys! Sorry to keep you waiting! School's been making my life hell so…here is the next chapter…**

**IAB Interrogations**

Stetler left the room, Alexx in tow.

"I've got trace," Ryan mumbled, exiting the room.

"Calleigh, is there anything you would like to tell me?" Horatio inquired softly.

"Um…well…I was at the gym and I was working out and Hagen was slandering my family and…um…I kinda beat him up…" Calleigh muttered embarrassed.

"You what?" Horatio asked incredulously.

"She beat him up," Eric stated.

"Eric, what do you have to do with this?" Horatio questioned.

"I witnessed everything."

"Okay, well, we're going to have to fix this wont we?" Horatio said rather calmly, putting his hands on his hips.

**In The Interrogation Room**

"Have you seen any CSI or Detective assault anyone on or off the force, without a warranted excuse, recently?" Stetler asked.

"No."

"Has Detective Duquesne ever assaulted anyone on the force?"

"No."

"Are CSIs Delko and Duquesne in a relationship?" Stetler questioned.

Alexx snorted and raised her eyebrow.

"Well, I mean they would probably tell you right?" Stetler insinuated.

"No, they are not."

"Why the skepticism?" Stetler inquired.

"Because…" Alexx said nonchalantly.

**20 minutes later…**

Calleigh pulled Eric to the ballistics lab…it wasn't that far, he was coming anyway.

"Eric, are we in a relationship?"

"Yes? Why does it matter?" Eric asked confused.

"Eric!" Calleigh complained exasperatedly.

"What?" he replied innocently.

"You don't think IAB will ask?" Calleigh said.

"Shit!"

Calleigh raised her eyebrows at him.

"Okay…" Eric said pensively, "We're not in a relationship. That wouldn't be completely lying and my retarded Catholic conscience wouldn't give me away…"

Stetler walked in quietly, well what he thought was quiet anyway, and began to listen to their conversation.

"So the bullets from our causeway shooter, they didn't match the gun at the scene," Calleigh explained rather loudly.

"There's another shooter," Eric concluded.

"Yep."

Calleigh turned her back to Eric, and the "hidden" IAB officer. "Mr.Stetler what can I do for you?"

"Damn," Rick swore under his breath.

"Delko," he snapped, "you're turn."

"Oh goody!" Eric said sarcastically.


	8. Idiots and Insinuations

**A/N Sorry guys! I've been SOO busy lately…I'm finishing this on a Snow Day….In NOVEMBER!! Who has a Snow Day in November? Luv y'all! -Serena**

Idiots and Insinuations

"Officer Delko. Are you in a relationship with Detective Duquesne?" Stetler asked.

"No."

"Did you see her assault an MDPD officer?"

"No."

"I have a witness that says Duquesne assaulted him and that you two are in a relationship."

"No."

"What?"

"Oh sorry. What were you saying before?" Eric asked feigning ignorance.

"I have a witness Mr.Delko. A WITNESS! He says that you and Duquesne are involved, she assaulted him, and that you saw the whole thing! What are you not telling me?"

"Now, Mr.Stetler, why would CSI Duquesne assault an MDPD officer? Without provocation? And does she really look like she could take someone down?" Eric asked in a mocking voice as if he was explaining something to a 4 year old.

"_Damn!! He has a point there. But I know, she might not look like it but if she and Caine or Delko doubled up…Hagen didn't stand a chance. But if Delko was involved how come Hagen didn't file an official police report it. Maybe Hagen's just a wimp…that's probably the explanation. But why waste a perfectly good chance to hurt Caine's team?" _Stetler thought.

"You're right, Delko. Maybe you assaulted the officer and she is covering for you," Stetler insinuated.

"Do you have any evidence to back up this…outrageous theory?"

Stetler sighed.

"I thought not. Are we done? I have more important things to do," Eric said irritated.

"Yeah, we're done…for now anyways."

Eric lifted himself out of the uncomfortable plastic chair of the interrogation room.   
_"Jeez. If I were a suspect, I'd confess just to get out of that chair!" _Eric thought.

_I swear to god my butt is frickin flat!" _

"I don't think flat would be the right adjective to describe your butt," Calleigh smirked as Eric gaped at her when he realized he had said the latter part of his sentence out loud.

"How did it go?" Calleigh asked, her demeanor changing from teasing to serious.

"Ugh. I don't know. Stetler flat out asked if you assaulted an MDPD officer. I kind of just repeated everything he said. Then he said you were covering for me and I assaulted the officer – " Eric explained.

"What?? My god Eric! If you are going to get in trouble than just tell Stetler the truth! You don't need more trouble with IAB now. I don't know if I could live with myself if I jeopardized you or your career!" Calleigh rambled angrily and worriedly.

"Calleigh. Hey, hey, hey," he coaxed gently, "you're going to be fine, I'm going to be fine. We'll get through this okay?"

"Yeah," Calleigh agreed, "I'm fine."

Eric raised his eyebrows and chuckled quietly. She threw her hands up in the air with an exasperated sigh. "Okay I'm not fine, but that is the only time you will ever hear me say that so laugh it up Delko!" Calleigh grinned trying to look menacing but failing miserably.

The moment was interrupted by Calleigh's pager buzzing loudly.

"Shit. My turn to meet Mr. Rick Stetler."

**A/N Short…I know but the next chapter is coming real soon…I promise!**


	9. Danger and Deceit

**A/N Another chapter!! Yay! I like this one! There's a lot of conversation though…oh well! Enjoy! And review!! ) D P**

Mr. Rick Stetler walked into the interrogation room briskly, Calleigh trailing behind him. After nearly smashing her hand in the door, the IAB officer sat down in a plush, black, leather chair as she sat down in her…not so comfy chair.

_Jeez. Obviously whoever said chivalry is dead was best friends with Stetler. And ouch! I totally agree with Eric about this damn chair it really is awful...If I don't get fired on the spot, I really should talk to Horatio about that…_

"Ms. Duquesne –" Stetler started, jolting her out of her thoughts.

"Detective."

"Detective Duquesne, although contradicting your impeccably spotless record, I have a witness who says you physically assaulted a police officer on this accomplished force."

"Which officer?" Calleigh challenged. _What the hell? Is Stetler trying to confuse me by using big words?? _

"There's been more than one?" Stetler shot back.

_Dammit. "_I don't know. What does your witness say?" the blond asked brazenly.

"He was only witness to this one crime, detective, and _that _crimeis what we will be focused on," Stetler practically yelled as he struggled to reclaim control of what was supposed to be _his _interrogation.

"Did you or did you NOT go to the gym on Thursday?"

"I did."

"Did you or did you NOT meet the witness or the victim at the gym?"

"You still haven't told me who the witness IS Stetler!!!" Calleigh retorted angrily.

"John Hagen," Rick stated shortly.

"And who is the victim?" Calleigh asked again, already knowing the answer.

"John Hagen," he muttered again.

"So the witness and the victim are the same person? John Hagen?" she clarified.

"Yes."

"So why –" Calleigh began

"Ms. Duquesne! This is my interrogation and I will ask the questions! Got it?" Stetler roared.

"Whatever you say, Rick," Calleigh agreed.

"So did you or did you NOT meet Detective Hagen at the gym?"

"Yes, I did."

"And did you assault him?"

"No!"

She said it with so much conviction he almost believed her. That's because, in her heart Calleigh Duquesne didn't believe she assaulted Hagen. _It was emotional self defense_ she reasoned to herself.

"Are you sure?" Stetler accused.

"Yes."

The two stared at each other for what seemed like hours. When Stetler looked down, Calleigh wondered why he started the interview so late, it was nearly 9 o' clock and it was right in the little niche between the day and the night shift. There was no one walking the halls and the deathly quiet enveloped the crime lab.

"Can I go?" Calleigh demanded.

"Yes, for now," Stetler said, smirking at the petite blonde.

Calleigh got off her chair and headed towards the door and Stetler quickly following her abruptly called her name. As she turned back to look at him, Stetler swung his arm out in a staggering punch to the left cheek. Calleigh fell back, and her arm hit the edge of the door. Hard. As she dropped to the floor she willed herself not to lose consciousness but the blackness overcame her and as her head struck the floor, she closed her eyes as the pain became unbearable.

**A/N Review please!! How'd you like it???**


	10. Feud, Felony, Fear

For a few seconds, Stetler just looked at Calleigh with an evil grin smothering his face. Then slowly his huge hand reached towards her motionless body. The IAB agent placed two fingers on her neck and felt for a pulse. As the steady beat drummed against his fingertips he let out a sigh of relief. The last thing he needed was for her to die during one of his interrogations. Guess who the prime suspect would be then?

Moving his hand from her jugular he pushed aside the lapel of her black suit jacket, revealing a small pocket. Reaching inside the breast pocket of her jacket he pulled out two latex gloves. For once in his life he was thanking the stupid science geek CSIs for always having gloves with them.

He shook his arm the lift the sleeve of his own jacket and glanced at his watch. 9:05. It had taken 15 minutes for his "interview" and his assault of Calleigh Duquesne. 9:06. The night shift wouldn't be here for another hour but the cleaning crew was supposed to start in 10 minutes.

Stetler snapped the gloves on and quickly unclipped her badge and holster. He took out her gun and haphazardly laid it next to her badge. If that wasn't a message to Caine he didn't know what would be. He picked Calleigh up and threw her over his shoulder. Thank god she was light! Sure he though he was strong but he was no Eric Delko. He thought of himself as average when it came to strength but he wasn't anywhere close to being as agile or muscled as the younger CSI.

Extremely glad he chose the interrogation room closest to the back door he ran as fast as he could and considering he was carrying the female detective, was pretty fast. He kicked open the door and sneaked outside where a white van was waiting outside. Using the darkness as a cover, he used one hand to open one of the double doors of the back of the vehicle. Dumping Calleigh in the back, he shut the door and tapped the driver's window. The tinted window rolled down and Stetler was suddenly staring into the face of……………

John Hagen.

O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O

"Part 1 is done," Stetler informed him, emotionless.

"Is she unconscious?" Hagen asked.

"You think I could carry a kicking and screaming female who knows how to shoot 100 times better than I do, out of the CRIME LAB?" Stetler questioned incredulously.

"OF COURSE SHE'S UNCONSCIOUS!" Stetler seethed.

"Oh," Hagen stated dumbly.

"But she won't stay that way for much longer, IDIOT!" Stetler insulted.

"Oh," Hagen repeated, "I should probably go then, eh?"

Stetler sighed. The man was hopeless. You could hit him over the head and he wouldn't change. You could ask him to inhale a permanent marker and he wouldn't lose any brain cells…because he didn't have any in the first place!!

"Ya THINK?"

"Yea. I should probably go," Hagen asked more to himself than to Stetler.

Rick just hit his forehead with his palm and stalked back to his office where he could wash his hands of this ridiculous affair…for today anyway.

O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O

Meanwhile, Calleigh stirred in the back of the vehicle. Groggily, she opened her eyes and blinked slowly. Then, her eyes shot wide open losing any trace of sleepiness. Looking around at her surroundings, her emerald green eyes absorbed everything, looking for a hint to help her figure out where she was.

She was in a car, that much she knew but that was it. No sounds, no words, no smells, tastes, or touch.

Unfamiliarity and no control. Two words that spiked fear into her strong heart. And that was what made that fright course through her veins, like blood.

**A/N REVIEW PLEASE!**


	11. Secrets, Silence, Surprises

**A/N Sorry for the wait…I was on vacation to India and Dubai…well here it is Chapitre 11. **

The sudden sound of the engine shattered the eerie silence. The car started up and Calleigh was thrown back against the back doors as the van jolted forward. After letting her body rest against the doors she pulled her aching body up so she could sit on her knees, her face at eye level with the bottom edge of the window. She peered out the tinted glass and she could just barely make out the familiar peach stucco of the crime lab. As blackness clouded her vision, Calleigh surrendered to the darkness and slipped into unconsciousness.

About 15 minutes later, the car stopped abruptly, the brakes screeching and Calleigh's eyelashes slowly fluttered open. For the next minutes the deadly silence overcame her once again and that twinge of fear twisted uneasily in her stomach. The back doors were roughly thrown open and Calleigh was faced with a big burly man. He was dressed in all black and was wearing a black ski mask with a yellow smiley-faced flower on the right side. His dark eyes were menacing and cold and his huge fists clenched and unclenched threateningly.

Despite the…fairly unpleasant…situation, Calleigh couldn't smother the tiny grin that appeared upon her face.

It was just too funny really. The flower was a hilarious touch to the somber, frightening man. The man stepped forward to grab her wrists. Writhing away she avoided his firm grasp. Clumsily, he attempted again but to no avail.

"C'mon Calleigh, don't make this harder for yourself," the man warned.

"You don't scare me…HAGEN! Nice flower by the way," Calleigh smirked.

"Damn! How'd you know?" Hagen whined worriedly. Stetler was going to KILL him.

"You have a burn on your left wrist," Calleigh informed him.

The GLOVES! That's what he forgot! Shit! His fingerprints must be all over the place now! That's all Caine needs to get me in for LWOP.

"And I would know that irritating voice anywhere," Calleigh spat.

Hagen's anxiety and anger overcame him and his hand shot out and connected with her cheek in an open handed slap.

He reached for her wrists again and this time managed to take hold of it, seeing as the force of the blow had knocked her over. A whimper escaped from Calleigh as pain blurred her sight. Her arm was definitely sprained.

Taking this opportunity Hagen held her wrists with his left hand and pulled out handcuffs, from his pocket, with his right. Somehow, he managed to fasten the metal rings onto her small wrists.

Satisfied, he released her wrists and caught her ankles. With great difficulty, Hagen held her ankles with the left hand and reached into his seemingly bottomless pocket. Hagen lifted a scarlet rag and attempted to tie it around her ankles, which was proving to be rather tricky.

Hagen stretched his hand to fit around her feet. Using his right hand he placed the cloth on one ankle and held it in place with his thumb. Then, he wrapped it around and surprisingly skillfully tied it in a double knot.

Meanwhile, Calleigh's face had turned almost completely pale white, her eyes were closed shut and her left hand was in a tight fist. Her neatly manicured nails dug into her palm and her breathing was shallow and laboured as she tried to swallow the pain. Tiny, salty, tears started to burn in her emerald eyes before she gently shook her head causing them to retreat back and vanish.

The pain was awful. She had been victim of much worse but not in a long while. Growing up in Louisiana with 2 drunk parents hadn't been the best time of her life, not in the least.

Calleigh's stubborn and defiant streak was reborn as she lifted her head to stare into Hagen's eyes. This wasn't a love kind of "stare-into-his-eyes" this was a "I'm going to kill you sometime" kind of "stare-into-his-eyes."

"What the hell are you trying to do, you sick bastard?" Calleigh spat, indicating her restraints.

"You'll find out soon…"

Hagen pulled another rag out of his, yes, his pocket but this one smelled distinctly of chloroform. He grabbed her hair yanked it hard, and smacked the rag over her face.

Darkness again filled her mind as the chloroform began to work it's magic.


	12. Reactions, Revenge and Realizations

**Chapter 11 – Reactions, Revenge and Realizations**

Meanwhile (meaning same time as Calleigh is kidnapped)

Meanwhile…back at the lab…

The absent minded custodian of the crime lab quietly whistled a romantic love song as he briskly pushed the cart down the silent halls. Stopping at the glass door, Mr. Gilruth cheerfully wiped the filthy table, chairs, windows and door, hiding away all traces of the day's work.

Mr. Gilruth cleaned his way down to Interrogation Room #9 and as he reached the door he saw inanimate objects on the table. From the angle and distance he was standing at he couldn't tell what they were, so he snapped is white latex gloves on and cautiously stepped through the door. Approaching the table, the janitor saw a tiny pool of deep red blood, a gun, a badge and a recording device. Long blonde strands of hair littered the small area of the floor around the blood.

The surprised man rushed out of the room and pulled out his cell phone. Without hesitation he dialed an unfamiliar number, that of Lieutenant Horatio Caine.

**Horatio's Office**

The soothing vibrations of his mobile awakened Horatio from his fitful slumber. Groggily, he lifted his head off his two thumbs, formerly supporting his throbbing forehead.

"Caine," H answered still somewhat sleepy.

"Lieutenant Caine? It's Mr. Gilruth, the custodian," the man replied.

"Of course. How may I help you?"

"Well, Lt. you know I don't call often, because I am supposed to call Det. Forini, the night-shift supervisor and I may get fired because I broke protocol, but I thought you should be the first to know," Mr. Gilruth babbled, "I came down to clean the interrogation rooms and when I got to Room #9, I saw blood and hair and a badge and…uh…I think it might be Detective Duquesne's."

In the blink of an eye, Horatio bolted out of his chair leaping into a standing position.

"Pardon?" Horatio asked incredulously. "How did you come to this conclusion?"

"Well, sir, Miss Calleigh is the only one on the dayshift who has blonde hair, and…if I check my chart…she was the last one in the interrogation room with a Mr. Rick Stetler."

"I have a few more questions to ask you, Mr. Gilruth, so if you don't mind waiting for a minute I will be right down."

"No problem, Lt."

Horatio ran down the stairs two at a time, with his kit and camera, racing to get to the interrogation rooms. The Miami Dade was fiercely protective of each other. You hurt one of them, you hurt them all.

Within minutes, the lieutenant had reached the anxious custodian.

"Thank you very much for your call, Mr. Gilruth," Horatio said appreciatively.

"Anythin' I can do to help Miss Calleigh," he replied.

"So, how did you know, Calleigh?"

"Well sometimes Miss Calleigh is still here when I clean the labs and she is always so nice and kind. She even offered to help me clean up some of the labs! No one else has ever paid attention to me or even thought about helpin' me. She just brightened up my day, so whenever I see her, we talk for a little bit and sometimes she'll get me a coffee or somethin'. She's just a really nice lady, Lt. I hope nothin' bad has happened to her," the janitor explained earnestly, his strong Texan accent coming through as he spoke.

A smile graced the Lieutenant's face as he thought about his passionate ballistics expert's never-ending care for those around her although his smile instantly vanished as he remembered why he was here.

"Mr. Gilruth, if you don't mind staying here, it would be much appreciated," Horatio hinted at the grey-haired man, "now might also be a good time to call Detective Forini and update him on the situation."

A slight look of fear crossed the custodian's face at the reminder of his supervisor.

Horatio, recognizing fright when he saw it, smiled warmly and said, "Don't worry about Todd, I'll take care of him when he gets here."

The other man nodded and pulled out his cell phone. He liked the Lt. He was very nice and polite, unlike his supervisor…

In the room, Horatio pulled out his gloves from his breast pocket, set down his kit and looked around. Walking over to the blood, he crouched down and photographed the evidence. Leaving the camera to swing around his neck, Horatio pulled out some manila envelopes, placing a blonde hair in each one and rolled the swab in the dark blood. After collecting the evidence on the floor, he turned to the table. He picked up the golden MDPD badge and flipped it open and the words _Calleigh Duquesne _never stood out clearer to the lieutenant. Horatio placed the gun and the badge in their respective envelopes and then picked up the recording device.

The red light on the left side, told him it was still recording, and with luck, maybe it would have captured the whole episode. Horatio then turned it off and placed it in another envelope.

Horatio continued processing the scene; photographing, collecting trace, and fingerprinting for the next 20 minutes. He then pulled off his latex gloves placed them in an envelope and stepped outside of the interrogation room. The worried custodian walked up to him and asked nervously, "Well? Is it her? Mr. Forini said he would be down here in 20 minutes, but that was 20 minutes ago…so…he should be here now…but Lt, please tell me! Is everythin' alright with Miss Calleigh?"

"I don't know yet, Mr. Gilruth, but I have a suspicion that things are about to go terribly wrong from here."

Just at that moment, Detective Todd Forini sauntered down the hallway towards the two men. His thick black hair was slicked back and his pink button down shirt hid his short neck. He wore a black jacket and black dress pants, swaggering down the halls with a self-righteous air.

A complete contrast to Horatio, Forini was disrespectful of everyone other than himself and superiors, with no compassion for others.

"What the hell is this all about, Gilruth?" Forini roared.

"Well sir, I was cleanin' out the interrogation rooms and I saw somethin' on the floor and on the table and I thought it might be Detective Duquesne's and so I called Lt. Caine, sir," Mr.Gilruth mumbled quickly.

"Caine? You know protocol! You should have called me! I am your supervisor! Not Caine!" the man yelled.

"Of course, sir," the janitor replied timidly.

"Quit your whimpering and do your job!" Forini ordered.

Horatio looked at the cruel man with cold eyes, bright blue eyes darkening changing to a peacock.

"Todd. Nice to see you too. Give the man a break would you? He did what he thought was right," Horatio defended.

"Caine," Forini all but snarled, "you have no authorization here. It's my turf now. You have got no right to any evidence at all."

"If you don't mind me saying, at the time of Mr. Gilruth's it was technically still the day shift's jurisdiction. By about 2 minutes," Horatio said smoothly.

"Oh two minutes? That could be a mistake in your watch! That creates enough reasonable doubt-"

"It is my CSI in jeopardy, Todd! I have already processed the scene and I'm sure the night shift has enough cases on their hands. This is _my _case, Detective. Take it to the Chief if you like, but I am going to continue with the investigation while you protest," Horatio said calmly, yet his eyes burned with dislike and fury.

The detective gaped with his mouth opening and closing like a hungry fish at the cool, collected Lieutenant.

"Fine. This is your problem now, Caine, don't expect any of my help on this case. My team and I are not going to be of any assistance in this investigation, even if it is an officer in jeopardy."

"I wouldn't dream of asking for your help, Forini."

Forini stormed off angrily, leaving Horatio to concentrate on the task at hand. His detective.

The Lieutenant flipped open his cell phone to inform the team, Frank, and Yelina.

**Half an hour later…**

Eric, Ryan, Frank, Yelina, Alexx, and Horatio were standing around one of the tables in the evidence locker.

"Guys, I have some bad news," Horatio said solemnly.

"H, where's Calleigh?" Eric asked worriedly.

"That's just it, Eric, I don't know," he responded despondently.

"What?!" Alexx cried.

"How can you not know where she is?" Ryan questioned disbelievingly.

"Please, let me finish."

"Sorry, Horatio," chorused throughout the room.

"The custodian, Mr. Gilruth, called me and told me there were some objects and blood in the interrogation room # 9. I went down and processed… it was Calleigh's gun and badge. There was also hair and blood and we need DNA to process it but I'm pretty sure it's Calleigh's as well. Something's wrong…and I'm afraid someone is going to get hurt."

The evidence locker fell silent as realization dawned on the team and detectives.

"Well, what can we do, H?" Eric asked bravely even though fear filled his eyes and his worried was etched on his face.

"Process," Horatio said simply.

"I'm on fingerprints," Eric offered.

"I'll take trace," Ryan said and the two set off for their labs.

"DNA is waiting for me," Horatio said.

"What about us?" Alexx asked, "What can we do?"

"Well, Mr. Gilruth said that Stetler," Horatio growled at the sound of the IAB agent's name, "was the last one inside the interrogation room, Yelina, find him please. Frank please find out if anyone saw anything suspicious after, before, or during the interview. Security tapes would be helpful," Horatio directed.

"And me?"

"You sit tight, Alexx, if there are any medical emergencies or questions we will need you. In the meantime finish up whatever case you have and spend some time with your family. I get the feeling we will all be pulling a lot of doubles and triples until we find out what happened to Calleigh.

Alexx was like the mother hen of the crime lab and she knew something was wrong with Horatio in an instant. She waited until Frank and Yelina had left to ask her question.

"Horatio? Did you call her cell phone?" Alexx asked gently.

"That's what I'm afraid of, Alexx. Her cell phone wasn't with the rest of her things, if she has it and she really is in danger, I'm not sure if I should call it. It could make things worse. I'm thinking that if the kidnappers forgot to get rid of her cell phone, she may still be able to use it. Actually, Alexx, before you go, can you ask Cooper to see if he can get a remote idea of where she is."

"Of course. And Horatio, remember, Calleigh's a fighter. Whatever is happening with her, she will pull through it."

**A/N No cliffhanger guys! ****I will try and update really soon. Review PLEASE! Make a newly 13 year old's day! **


	13. Comforting Contact

**A/N I am so sorry for the incredibly long wait...the next chapter will be posted by the end of the week. Y'all deserve it! Please R & R! Thanks! D 3 –CsI-aDdIcTeD**

Her body had become accustomed to the constant jostling of the van's tires against bumpy dirt roads. She brushed the slim bulge in her pocket as if to assure herself the phone was still there. In his jaded rage, Hagen hadn't noticed it.

Eric briefly crossed her mind. His incredible smile, his infectious laugh, dark brown eyes, his gentle touch, his sweet kisses. Did he know she was gone? Would he notice? Would she him again? Calleigh could only imagine how worried he would be.

She was jolted out of her daydream as the incessant rumbling abruptly stopped. The eerie silence returned once more, but only momentarily. Heavy footsteps could be heard from the trunk, feet crunching against the sandy dirt signally the approach of her kidnapper. The back doors were forcefully thrown open and before Calleigh had a chance to react, she was being picked up and swung onto the man's shoulder. She let out a groan when her stomach roughly collided with Hagen's sturdy limb.

Hagen carried her about thirty meters, her bound fists pounding ineffectively on his back. They entered a hut-like shack and he briskly walked into a room and proceeded to throw her onto the cold cement floor. She heard the door slam and the heavy footsteps echoed softly before deathly quiet overwhelmed her tingling senses once again. Calleigh simply lay on the ground, the cool floor acting soothingly as ice to her aching muscles. She then sat up, hands handcuffed, ankles loosely tied and her keen eyes sharply swept over the dingy room.

There was a rickety bed, a toilet and a sink, all firmly implanted into the floor. There were no windows and one blown light bulb. Calleigh hopped up to the very sturdy door and carefully inspected it. She desperately raised her bound hands and twisted the cold steel knob to no avail. She figured it locked automatically behind Hagen. Pressing her ear to the door she received only silence in return. Backing away into the farthest corner of the dark walls confining her inside.

She stretched her hands to her pocket, thanking god her hands were handcuffed in the front instead of behind her. She stuffed both hands inside and pulled out her thin black cell phone between the tips of her fingers. For a moment she just stood there unsure of what to do. Quickly deciding, she hobbled over to the bed and set the phone down on the hard mattress. Kneeling on the floor she brought her hands up and frantically flipped open the phone, the hard metal cuffs biting into the pale, sensitive skin of her wrists. She used one finger and pressed the number 2 on her speed dial, praying that Hagen wouldn't come back any time soon then she bent herself over to listen to the voice on the receiving end.

"Caine."

"Horatio, it's Calleigh," she whispered, her voice raspy from the lack of water.

"Calleigh are you alright?" Horatio asked feeling immediate relief and began running towards the A/V lab.



"Yeah, I think so. I don't know where I am. The kidnapper is – " Calleigh croaked breathily before the oak door flew open and Hagen stood at the entrance fuming. His light brown eyes darkened to deep chestnut and his rage was evident. His eyebrows furrowed and his teeth clenched. The menacing look was complemented by the shadows cast upon his face.

"I don't think so bitch."


	14. Possibilities and Problems

**A/N I'm SOOOOOOOOOOO sorry, I know I lied! I left for NY for a week so no updates, and then grad and then vacation...R & R...Thanks for all the reviews on Chapter 13...Y'all RULE! 3 csi-addicted**

"_I don't think so bitch."_

Hagen rushed her, like a bull heading towards a red flag only this flag wasn't going to slip away from him. His large body made contact with hers, crushing and violently hitting her body against the wall. She let out a small groan and struggled to take several short gasps for oxygen. Taking advantage of her weakness, Hagen snapped a shattering jab to her cheekbone throwing her against the cold metal railing of the bed. The phone was still sitting in the corner of the bed surprisingly undisturbed by the chaos surrounding it.

The muffled voices resounded through the phone and reverberated into Horatio's ear. A realization hit quickly in his incredibly sharp mind. Calleigh had left the phone on speaker! He rushed down the long hallway and into A/V cursing the architecture of the lab, motioning wildly to Tyler. The map glowed on the widescreen, the green dot acting as the beacon of hope, each ping intensifying the hungry desire for answers. As the circles grew smaller and smaller, euphoria slowly began filling his body inch by inch. Suddenly red letters flashed across the screen blurring in Horatio's cobalt eyes, his once hopeful mind uncomprehending and astonished.

Hagen threw the phone to the ground, and Calleigh watched as her ray of hope and her phone shatter upon impact.

Ryan charged into A/V, "H, I surveyed the outside of the building, there was a security camera ripped out of its socket."

"Where?"

"Back entrance, close to the crime scene."

"Show me, Mr. Wolfe."

Horatio and Ryan inspected the hole of wires from down below before confirming the necessity to go up onto the roof. Suddenly, Stetler came stumbling through the door.

"Horatio, where are you on the Hayes case?" he asked pompously.

"Not my top priority, Rick," Horatio said calmly.

"What? Why? What is more important? This is a high profile case Horatio! The media is breathing down my neck..."

"Did no one inform you of the impending matter of Detective Duquesne?"

"Ah yes! That was supposed to be Forini's case!"

Horatio's eyes hardened and Stetler involuntarily took a step back. "She is MY CSI, Rick. Part of MY team. She has been on the force 9 years and unlike you, I believe it's important to find her!"

The little voice at the back of his mind screamed profanities and the gravity of the situation was knocked through his thick conniving mind.

"You can't be on this case. You're biased, conflict of interests. A judge won't prosecute."

"I cleared it with the Chief and Her Honour Judge Laura Gallant and His Honour Judge Alex Toler. Based on the solve rates of the MDPD Crime Lab and the severity of this case, they have concluded that the night shift is not equipped to work this case."

"But...but...You can't!"

"I can and I will," Horatio promised.

Beads of perspiration formed on the Sergeant's neck and his brain was suddenly devoid of any intelligible comments or thoughts, while his mouth opened and closed like a hungry fish. Horatio observed this reaction confusedly. His gut turned into a contortionist, twisting to unbelievable proportions and his mind ran theories across his mind like the credits in a movie.

"If I find out you're in on this, Rick," spitting out his name like it was a dose of cough syrup, "I will hunt you down. And not even God can protect you then."

**A/N Short I know, but there will be updates as I'm home all week! Review PLEASE!**


	15. Awake and Agonizing

**A/N Okay, I'm gonna post ASAP...Here's Chapter 15... **

**xoxo - csi-addicted**

Chapter 15

Stetler swallowed the acrid taste of fear from the sheer intensity in the other man's eyes. Gathering up the small remains of his courage, he struggled to respond with a witty comment.

"Is that a threat?" Stetler asked desperately trying to sound fierce...and failing.

"It's a promise," Horatio said coldly, turning on his heel and striding away purposefully.

Calleigh blinked and the stark grey ceiling blurrily came into focus. She raised her right arm off the ground and attempted to prop herself up before letting out a weak whimper and falling back once again, spread eagle. She didn't know what day it was, or what time it was. How long had she been in there, and how close were Eric and Horatio?

"Rise and shine sweetheart," Hagen burst open the door. Calleigh's eyes were immediately blinded by the white light shining from the door. He walked over and picked her up like a rag doll and she whimpered softly again at the rough contact and dumped her on the bed.

"What...what day –" Calleigh croaked.

"Ah...I was wondering when you would ask that. It's been two days. They're not coming for you, Calleigh. You're precious team can't find you and never will. There's no evidence, sweetheart," Hagen taunted.

"Shut the fuck up," she hissed, eyes flashing.

"Ah, ah, ah. You don't get to talk to me like that anymore," Hagen warned, unexpectedly pulling out a large object from his pocket and pressing it to her abdomen, cool metal chilling her skin through the tattered fabric of what remained of her blouse. She heard the click of a button –

Pain exploded in her body, as if agony ran silver streaks up her veins. She convulsed, almost like puppet controlled by a schizophrenic. Her soft scream echoed off the bare walls, sending shivers of sadistic pleasure down to Hagen's cold heart.

"Enjoying, sweetheart?" he asked cruelly as he rubbed her cheek with his slimy hand while his other hand held the taser.

She groaned and the face before her swam as though it was a reflection on water but someone was throwing rocks into the liquid.

"What do you want?" she whispered biting her lip to stem the tears that threatened to flow down her bruised cheeks.

"Payback, Cal, that's all I want. You humiliated me, now it's your turn."

"They'll find me and it's over for you John. Come on. Let me go, and Horatio can work something out," Calleigh pleaded quietly, agony still racking her body from the shock.

"Not going to work, sweetheart."


	16. Broken

**A/N I just started high school so updates might be a little slower...yes I know that if it goes any slower you will all be dead from old age...so here is chapter 16 I hope I made y'all happy!... xoxoxo **

– **csi-addicted**

Chapter 16 – Broken

"They're never gonna find you."

"They're never going to find you."

"You're worthless."

"You deserved this."

He repeated the cruel phrases, each punctuated with a staggering blow.

"Worthless."

"Slut."

"Bitch."

She was handcuffed to the chair as if, suddenly, she was a character in a Hollywood movie. The films about espionage and treachery, betrayal and capture.

"Say it."

"Say, 'they are never going to find me'."

"Say it."

Her head throbbed, her tongue tasted the metallic tang of blood as it trickled down her cheek. Bruises and cuts marked her body, reminding her who was in control.

"That's right. Good girl."

"And what are you? Worthless."

"Your turn."

Her mind began its dance around the edge of consciousness. The sharp stinging of hot tears running through the wounds did little to bay the dark spots around her vision.

"Who deserves this?"

"You. That's right."

"Lying, worthless bitch."

"Worthless."

"Repeat it."

The darkness began it's lucrative crooning and the shattered remains of her sanity put up little resistance as it slowly quelled her uncertainties and fears of his reaction to her drifting...

"I want you to repeat it."

"Eric doesn't love me."

"I'm worthless."

"Horatio is never going to find me."



"I'm a lying bitch."

"I deserve this."

She gave in. The darkness consumed her. He broke her. Mind shattered into scattered pieces on the floor.


	17. Uncovered, Unprotected

**A/N Hey y'all! How's life? Mine's stressful! Hee! Here's Chapter 17...Thanks for the reviews again! Gotta love you guys! 3 csi-addicted**

Chapter 17

"Lieutenant! I've got something off the security camera," Tyler Jensen called out the open door to the AV lab.

"I thought it was ripped out?" Horatio inquired.

"It was. The security system MDPD uses transmits the feed directly to be videotaped. I checked with surveillance and I got the tapes for outside the hallway to the interrogation rooms about 5 minutes ago."

"Good work, Tyler."

"That's not all. I think I may have a face for you."

Horatio's eyebrows raised, the slight buzz of anticipation shooting through his body.

"Whoever ripped out the outside security camera did it after 9:30 which is the last time the feed was transmitted. I'm guessing either it's an inside job and the kidnapper is unintelligent or it was an outside job because they went through the effort of taking the outside camera but not the actually video tapes or the inside video camera," Tyler informed Horatio, small smirk playing on his lips.

"Calleigh's interview must have finished at around 9. Do we have the feed from then?"

"We do."

Tyler expertly tapped the keys rewinding the tape to the 9 o'clock spot on the tape. The security camera was turned away from Interrogation Room 9 for most of it but...

The AV lab tech quickly zoomed to the right bottom corner of the video screen. Tyler zoomed to what seemed to be a glass window. Catching the reflection, he flipped it, enlarged it and cleaned it up. Rick Stetler could be seen with his arm extended feet in an aggressive stance. Calleigh was on a 45 degree angle, ready to fall to the floor, blonde hair flying wildly.

"Um, Lieutenant."

"I know!" Horatio growled, ineffectively trying to calm the rage building up inside of him like superheated lava.

In a flash, Tyler had fast forwarded to 9:05 and the pair was gone. Flipping to the tapes for the outside you could see a black haired man, with Calleigh over his shoulder.

"Dammit, Stetler!" Horatio roared, although it escaped from his lips much quieter in his intense restrained fury.

"Print me a copy of those two frames, please. And Mr. Jensen, I would like to keep this quiet if possible. Good work."

Horatio stormed out of the lab, anger being exuded in every step, fury oozing out of every pore. He eyes had darkened and iced. Bright blue appeared frosted and cold. As if parting the Red Sea, the busy bustling hallways of the crime lab spread to allow the enraged man to pass through the center. The 

whispers were momentarily halted and the glass walls acted as an insulator to the strong feelings radiating from him.

Flipping his cell phone open, he made a quick call to the Chief and arranged an emergency meeting.

15 minutes later, Horatio walked into the Chief's office, grim face, cold eyes, and evidence burning a hole in his pocket.

Silently, he stepped up to the desk and placed the incriminating photo on the table. The Chief's eyes widened.

"Horatio –"

"He ripped out the security camera, but left the tapes. We found this image and reflected it and this one is obviously him carrying Detective Duquesne," Horatio snarled, seething.

"Horatio, this is a very serious matter. I assure you, disciplinary action – "

"Chief, Lieutenant Caine should not be...," Stetler complained, trailing off when he saw the two superior officers standing at the desk.

"Sergeant Stetler. It has come to my attention that some incriminating evidence has been found in the Duquesne case," the Chief said calmly.

Horatio looked like he would be the IAB officer to a pulp but the warning in the Chief's eyes reminded him that if he wanted this done, he would have to do it right.

Stetler's brown not-so-innocent widened and he felt as though Horatio could see right through to his rapidly beating heart.

Horatio's cell chirped a noisy contrast to the silence cast in the Chief's office. He stared at it, annoyed, before flipping it open his blue eyes tightening imperceptibly as the message Ryan sent him brightly splashed itself across the screen.

"I have to go. Excuse me Chief," Horatio informed the men, eyeing Stetler like an annoying mosquito buzzing around his head.

He put his sunglasses on in his usual Horatio fashion and stalked over to the door purposefully, stopping only to whisper in his rival's ear.

"I know you're in on this. I will find whoever you're working with and I will hunt you two down," Horatio threatened softly.

Stetler's breath caught in his throat briefly simply from the anxiety this whole ordeal had brought him.

--

"H, I got a blood trail."

**A/N Okay...so it is gonna come together soon, I PROMISE! Probably in the next 3 Chapter MAXXXX! Love you guys! Hope you enjoy this chapter!**


	18. At Last A Breakthrough

**A/N Okay, Chapter 18...Sorry for the UNBELIEVABLY long wait!! I hope it's gonna get juicy...I don't really know where it's gonna go seeing as I just write whatever comes to mind... ******** 3 love you guys...Please REVIEW!!!!!! ******

**SPECIAL THANKS TO SARA0989!!!! **

**-csi-addicted**

Chapter 18

Those five words sent shivers of fear and anticipation down his spine.

-------------------

The team was sitting around the conference table, sombre expressions on their exhausted, stressed, haggard faces.

"It's been 3 days, H," Ryan said miserably, "the first 24 hours are crucial and we have already passed two times that."

Eric slammed his fists down against the conference tale.

"So what do you want to do, Wolfe? Give up? This is Calleigh you're talking about! Not just another victim whose case you might let go cold!" Eric fumed frustrated, unleashing his pent up anger at his colleague.

"You're not the only person who gives a damn Eric! We all do! I'm just voicing the facts!" Ryan responded getting in Eric's face.

Horatio cleared his throat and gave them his now-is-not-the time look.

"Sorry, H," they chorused, mumbling their sheepish apology.

"It's alright gentlemen. We are all on edge. The actual reason I called you here is to update you on the situation. We now have a suspect in custody, who was identified using the leftover footage from the inside and outside security cameras," he informed them, eyes tightening and fists clenching imperceptibly with the last statement.

"Well?"

"Who?" Alexx asked.

"Stetler."

The team's eyes widened incredulously.

"It's Hagen," Eric murmured.

"Stetler, not Hagen," Alexx reminded.

"No. If Stetler cares enough to get involved either it's an inside job, or he's getting something in return. Calleigh had problems with Hagen. My guess is that after the incident, Hagen went to Stetler to complain about Calleigh which is what set off the interrogations. Damn it! The interrogation was the perfect cover for the kidnapping!" Eric explained, mentally hitting himself for not coming to the conclusion sooner.

Horatio's gut clenched as he desperately tried to stem the instinctive need to play Devil's advocate and rebut his younger colleague.

"Eric," he started softly, his eyes conveying a warmth that could only be expressed through the whirls of blue.

"We have no evidence to suggest Hagen was involved with Calleigh's disappearance. He has motive but there is no proof."

"Have we interrogated Stetler yet?" Alexx asked cautiously.

"Not exactly."

"Let me try, H! I can flip him! Easy!" Eric cried.

"You're too close to this Eric," Horatio negated.

"We are ALL too close, Horatio, she is a member of our team!" Alexx murmured.

"Let's see what I can get, alright?" Horatio pleaded quietly, begging Eric silently to let it go.

"_You know Horatio, he's like a dog with a bone."_

"_Well he needs to learn how to let go." (Wet Foot, Dry Foot) _

The words flashed randomly across Eric's mind before he sighed softly and conceded.

"Ryan, what about this blood trail?"

"I found gravitational blood droplets leading from the back door to a spot on the curb. There were faint skid marks heading north," Ryan informed the group.

"The triangulation on Calleigh's phone coordinates said she was headed north but we don't know how far."

The group sat at the conference table, re-examining evidence, brainstorming and bouncing ideas off each other. It wasn't until around 1:30 AM when inspiration hit them like a bolt of lightning. Scrambling off to their individual labs they worked around the clock, determined to discover the mistake that every criminal makes. The coffee pot ran dry, the hands spun around the clock and gears turned in the minds of the unwavering CSIs.

--------------------

Her stomach protested loudly as she was rolled off the uncomfortable bed and smacked onto the floor. She hadn't eaten in four days and drank only tepid water from a metal dish inside her room. Hagen stormed in and kicked the precious bowl from under her trembling hands.

The anticipation of what would follow twisted her gut into pretzels, though the fear of the unknown had long dissipated.

--------------------

The group had resumed their stance around the conference table. Horatio sat at the head, followed by Eric on the right side and the lonely seat where Calleigh usually sat. Alexx and Ryan sat further with Alexx beside Eric. The placement unintentionally represented their positions in the team. Calleigh was the highest ranking officer after Speedle and she was also the closest to Horatio, personally. She had worked with him for longest, long enough to gain his trust, long enough to access some of his deepest secrets. Eric was next followed by Alexx and Ryan was the furthest away.

All the CSIs pulled out their evidence, surprising themselves with the amount of it. The interrogations, tire tracks, cell phone records, credit card receipts all fell together to create a single puzzle that would reveal what they wanted most. They had the knowledge and were about to use it.

--------------------

The sirens were turned off and the only sound heard was the quiet rustling of the Hummer's tires trudging through the dry grass. They pulled up slowly to the side, wary eyes of the crocodiles staring unblinking through the hazy fog and murky water. Guns drawn, steadily held ready for action, walking with trepidation on the balls of their feet in anticipation of resistance. The slam of a heavy door rung out among the silence, shattering the eerie stillness.

Peering out amongst the brush, Ryan, Eric, and Horatio kept the shack in clear view and the flash of black entering the door. Moving into position the three darted out in front of the structure, in attacking position. They were not prepared for the sight that followed next.

----------------------

And neither was she.

**A/N Okay...So...What do yall think?? Reviews are love!! Special thanks to sara**


	19. Shocking Sights

A/N Okay Okay...so I know I NEVER post anymore. That's about to change...My goal is at least 2 chapters per month. It's my New Year's Resolution. IT'S MY BIRTHDAY TODAY! I'm 14! WOOT! Hope you enjoy.

_They were not prepared for the sight that followed next. _

_---------- _

_And neither was she. _

The blowing leaves crackled in the wind, that being the only movement in the desolate area of the Everglades. The anticipation almost condensed into the heavy droplets of rain, sure to fall from the quickly approaching storm clouds. The wind whistled quietly, cold air rushing raising goose bumps on cold skin. The scene began to play out like the climax of an action movie, but without a prewritten finale.

The heavy crunching disturbed the stillness and the steady movement radiated danger. It seemed as if time held its breath as a force of anger and hope met head on.

The epitome of filth came into view with a familiar form slung over one shoulder. The blonde hair of a motionless, exhausted body fluttered in the breeze, faint red droplets streaking the ends. The kidnapper stopped moving and dropped her roughly to the ground. There was a sharp intake of breath from the CSIs as an audible thud and small whimper was heard.

Horatio, Eric, and Ryan stood farther away, in a semicircle, guns drawn. Horatio dominated in the middle, flanked by determined friends, Eric and Ryan. A mix of shock and horror lay in their eyes, belying their sombre and emotionless faces.

Hagen stood directly opposite the Lieutenant, decked in complete body armour leaving only his cruel eyes exposed. But when he spoke, no amount of Kevlar could mask the gratingly familiar rasp.

Meanwhile, Calleigh slowly moved from how she laid spread eagled, the solid, dusty ground absorbing most of the shock. As she struggled to lift herself into a sitting position, Horatio's forcedly calm voice caressed her ears and she stared unblinking, not believing at her three heroes. A rush of hope tingled throughout her body as Eric's familiar face stared hard into her kidnapper's masked face. Ryan repeated his boss' message, pleading for Hagen to let her go.

A bark of laughter was Hagen's response to their foolish pleas.

The guns never leaving his face, he reached down and hauled Calleigh up, standing her in front of him gun to her head.

"You think I risked all this just to give up when you ask, Lieutenant?" Hagen sneered.

"I'm not going to ask again. Let her go!" Horatio ordered.

Hagen's menacing eyes scanned the CSIs until Eric's eyes met his.

"You love her don't you? I can see it in your eyes. I'm going to make you watch her suffer. It's better than killing her anyway."

Eric's grip tightened on his gun and Horatio blew a warning breath, telling his colleague to reign in his temper. Hagen laughed evilly and Calleigh took advantage of this by elbowing him in the chest. He turned slightly off balance but his iron grip on her arm never faltered and instead, this only enraged him, causing him to whirl her around and punch her from the side.

When her back was turned, the three men could see thick lines of red etching her white tank.

But the fight was about to get worse.

Calleigh's mind willed her exhausted body to recover but the mental and physical exertion began to overwhelm her and her seemingly permanent spirit appeared to be broken. The heroic men watched with worried eyes, as she appeared to be on the verge of getting up.

"I'm going to wait 10 seconds for Caine and Wolfe to start moving and get out of here," Hagen directed, "if you don't, your precious Calleigh will pay the consequences. Delko, stay where you are."

"We're not leaving, Hagen."

A shot echoed, mirroring the shock imprinted in bright green eyes.

**A/N REVIEW AND MAKE A 14 YEAR OLD's BIRTHDAY. More SOON I Promise!!!!**


	20. The Second Shot

**A/N. Sorry for the wait!!! Well...Here goes my super duper chapter numero 20! I AM aware that I have broken my New Year's Resolution about a thousand times already...But things have been unbelievably busy! Sorry again. Okay well...ENJOY ******** Love csi-addicted!**

The heat of the bullet burned her flesh as it skimmed her thigh, and a whimper barely escaped her at the notion of that projectile being one millimetre closer. Tearing her gaze off the singed material of her pants, she met the chocolate orbs of a panicked Eric attempting to calm him down through her emerald eyes.

"Next time I won't miss," Hagen bellowed, tensing with apprehension as the fire behind the Lieutenant's piercing swirls of blue was visible.

"Calleigh, sweetheart, are you okay?" Horatio asked kindly, but his tone betrayed his worry, echoing the feelings of the other men.

She nodded slowly, head pounding and slowly started to sit up, only to have Hagen's foot meet her chest in a ruthless attempt to keep his power over her, alive. A whimper and a flinch escaped her, as the shoe on her body worsened already painful bruises, a wince that was echoed on Eric's face, his feeling of helplessness evident on his handsome face.

"I'm going to ask you one more time. Leave!" Hagen yelled, with no sign that his escalating fury would halt, cocking the gun once more and pointing it towards the dusty ground.

"We can't do that, John," Horatio coaxed, daring to use the first name of the already volatile officer. "Just put the gun down and everything will be okay. Put the gun down, John. Do it for Calleigh. Do it for Raymond. Don't let yourself make the biggest mistake of your life, and let us leave with Calleigh. Put the gun down."

Hagen sneered, "Do it for Raymond? Why would I do anything for your beloved brother? He was dirty, Caine, just accept it. He was less than half the man you thought he was. Just a dirty cop who abandoned his family for some junkie."

Horatio's face hardened visibly and the hand on his gun clenched tightly, as he willed his strong morals to prevent him from ending Hagen's life within seconds.

"Do it for Calleigh? This little slut is the reason we're all here. She humiliated me in front to the entire precinct. I lost the respect of my fellow officers. She played around with my emotions! The bitch deserves everything she gets, don't let her pretty face fool you, Delko. Isn't that right, Calleigh?"

She just nodded numbly, the mental torture becoming apparent as she lost her will, optimism, and spirit, before the shocked eyes of the CSIs. She didn't think she could, she didn't want to hold on much longer. The strength she once had was wearing thin, both emotionally and physically as doubt filled her own mind about her value, courage, character. Doubt infiltrated with by John Hagen. She was never one to lose hope and she wasn't sure she had it in her to not give up. Her will was weakening. It had been five days. 120 hours, 7200 minutes of relentless, merciless attacks. Those times alone in the dark weren't relief. They let her destroy herself with the time to question her choices, motives about everything she was previously sure about.

"I said it once. And I'm not going to say it again. If you don't leave now, your precious Calleigh won't be the only one getting hurt."

Calleigh felt a strong kick to her back, and she curled up tighter into the foetal position and Calleigh nodded her assent

"Leave. Please, leave. He's going to kill me anyway," Calleigh murmured, as always putting the safety of the ones she loves above her own. She wasn't going to make it out alive, no matter what happened.

"Calleigh," Eric whispered. He wasn't going to leave. Not without her, by his side.

"Take me instead," Eric pleaded.

"What the hell would I want with –"

"No Eric, don't! You don't want him, John," Calleigh argued, shooting daggers at her boyfriend's eyes. _What the hell is he thinking? _

"Shut up, bitch. Maybe it'd be even more pain for you. Watching him die. Slowly. Knowing every moment of his pain is absolutely your fault."

"No one has to die here, Hagen," Horatio soothed, again trying to calm him down.

"I want Caine and Wolfe to leave. Delko stays. Now!" Hagen roared.

The tension was palpable, and Hagen was escalating. Attempting to appease him would be futile, so the three CSIs had to decide how to carry forward. Do they retreat and leave two of their friends almost family in the line of fire? Or do they stay and put Calleigh in even more danger? Ryan and Horatio looked at each other, trying to read the expressions on the other's face as some sort of guide as to what to do.

Horatio and Ryan backed up slowly, about five feet. The fingers on Hagen's left hand were fidgety in anxiety and anticipation. He beckoned Eric forward and Calleigh frantically shook her head, before watching Eric cautiously move towards her, fists clenched around his gun, finger barely touching the trigger. The idea of killing Hagen was tantalizing, but the Latino knew the possibility of Calleigh hurt, wasn't worth his personal satisfaction.

Eric was standing diagonal and to the left of Calleigh, who was now sitting up, Hagen preoccupied with the change in plans. She felt herself being hauled roughly to her feet by her hair, gun once again pointed to her head. She watched Eric move steadily towards her until he was about 10 feet away, still diagonal.

The game had gotten tougher, more intense. Two lives hinged on the decisions of one angry, vengeful man. Numerous hearts would be impacted by a loss of either person. People they had saved, families they worked tirelessly for, victims whose lives ended too soon. The people they love, the people who love them.

She wishes she could call her brothers and tell them she loved them. Plead her father to stay sober, forgive him for his many mistakes. Tell Horatio he was an amazing man, a true hero. Remind Ryan not to work too hard, to stay out of trouble, and never let someone take advantage of him. Confess to Alexx, she was more of a mother than she had ever had and is a beautiful, strong woman. And look Eric in the eyes and tell him he was everything she ever wanted, ever needed, to be brave for her, to never lose that fire that burned within his heart.

She felt the cold barrel of the gun leave her ringing head. And slowly the spinning started to slow, and her dazed vision once again focused. Eric once again filled her field of view, even closer this time. Only about seven feet away. She felt like if she reached out her tired arm far enough, her fingers would graze the sea green cotton of his shirt. She always liked that shirt. It took her a minute to realize where the gun had deserted her for...Eric's chest.

She heard Hagen cock the barrel, the sound echoing loudly in her ear, her worst nightmares about to come true before her eyes. She couldn't believe how he put himself in the line of fire. It was brave, it was sweet, but it was stupid. She was almost sure that Hagen was going to kill her no matter who stepped in front and tried to dissuade him. Whether with their lives, or words or threats.

Hagen's finger taunted the CSIs as it played with the trigger of the gun. Doubt never crossed his mind, rationality had long since abandoned his crazed mind. It was too late to back down. Too late to simply apologize. Too late to run. It had to end now.

Exhaustion, injury and fear amounted to nothing, as adrenaline surged through her veins.  
An animalistic instinct took over. Fight or flight had been debated, and tension slivered up her body, running through her blood wildly struggling to be released. Like a tiger watching its prey she waited silent and still for the time to strike.

Her internal alarm rang, and the battle began.

His focus on Eric, Hagen unintentionally loosened his grip on Calleigh, allowing her to wrench her arm out of his grasp. Her aching feet spun into gear, as if electric shocked. Her green eyes zeroed in on Eric, her destination locked and determined to reach it.

The second shot went off. This time with the intention to kill.

**A/N If you're still reading this, I owe you one. Big time. Read and review!! 3 THANKS! I LOVE YOU GUYS!**

**THE END. **


	21. Standoff

**A/N Sorry! I hope you enjoy. I really have no excuses. But…hopefully with summer, updates will be more frequent. Thank you for all your reviews, I really do appreciate it. –Serena 3**

She propelled herself forward with all the strength she had in her defeated body. Adrenaline shot through her veins and everything faded to a blur once her eyes locked on him. She pushed with enough strength to knock them both over, but…

He saw blood on his hands. Craning his neck to see her on his chest, he watched as her blood dripped onto his shirt, staining it with red. Her scream echoed in his ears, the terror in her voice as Hagen held the gun to her head, running. Why was she running? His head throbbed from where it hit the ground, what was going on?

Then it hit him.

She ran to him. She ran to save him. His hands found her bleeding shoulder, ripping off his shirt and pressing it to the wound. Oblivious to everything around him, except her strangled cry as he reluctantly applied pressure.

_Her aching feet spun into gear, as if electric shocked. Her green eyes zeroed in on Eric, her destination locked and determined to reach it._

_The second shot went off. This time with the intention to kill._

She felt the pain explode in her body as she hit his chest, adrenaline masking her natural instinct of self preservation. His black shirt swam beneath her eyes, she struggled to stay conscious as the pain intensified, crying out when his hands pressed. She couldn't tell where the pain was coming from, the darkness clouded her vision. She forced herself to stay awake, she tried, but it kept on coming. She couldn't –

Hagen, seemed shocked at his own actions. The black gun in his hands actually shot the blonde. Shot Calleigh. He loved her, for a moment. Now his hands trembled with anticipation.

"Get up, bitch!" he bellowed.

Silence was all he received in return as her half-conscious mind couldn't create a response. Eric's arms tightened around her protectively.

"What do you want, Hagen?" he asked angrily, trying to find a way to escape.

"Her dead, you dead, hell, the whole MDPD dead. You ruined my life. Horatio and his brother. Calleigh and her slutty tactics. You CSIs always thought you were better than me.

Eric laid Calleigh on the ground gently, standing up slowly, tensely waiting for Hagen to make his move. A rustling behind Hagen grabbed the man's attention and Eric took his opportunity. He ran at him, knocking him on his back. Hagen, more furious than before, dropped the gun and delivered a swift uppercut to the Latino's face. Recovering quickly, Eric grabbed the gun, the two men unintentionally switching sides. Eric's eyes filled with horror as the cruel smile on Hagen's face reminded him of who was next to the deranged police officer.

Calleigh.


	22. Surrenders and Splashes

**A/N Oh! She finally comes through! :P I hope you enjoy it!**

Hagen grinned evilly, though his actions were contradictory as he picked up the barely conscious Calleigh almost tenderly, if he was possible of such an emotion. And at one time he was. What had happened to this man? The man that they all thought they knew.

Horatio and Ryan waited anxiously, out of sight of the two men. For once in his life, Horatio was unsure. Crazy people do crazy things, but part of his mind didn't want to believe that Hagen was capable of such a thing. Part of his mind didn't believe that Hagen was crazy. Part of his mind _couldn't _believe Hagen was crazy, because that would destroy the very fragile fragments of trust he had left for humanity. And yet, the proof was right before his eyes. So he watched. He watched the terror in his friend's dark chocolate eyes, the exhaustion Calleigh's green ones, and the slightly trembling gun, this time in Eric's hands. He watched the blood drip from her wounded shoulder on to the dusty brown ground. He watched Ryan, the younger CSI helpless, angry and terrified. He had failed them. He was their Lieutenant, their leader, their guide and he had failed them. He was consumed by his guilt, and yet his sharp blue eyes never wavered from the terrifying scene unfolding before him.

Calleigh was hanging limp from Hagen's arms. Hagen's cruel smile never leaving his face. The gun was aimed at his chest. His mask had been ripped off. He had a shot. But the thought of missing. The thought of hitting Calleigh. He couldn't pull that trigger. Hagen deserved to suffer. Suffer the way Calleigh had. Death was too easy, too simple, too…painless. Hagen lifted Calleigh closer to his face, using her as a shield, the rest of his protective armour still in place. He began to back up slowly.

"You want to have your precious Calleigh again?" Hagen sneered, moving back, to the edge of the Everglades, drawing closer to the water.

Fear spiked Eric's heart once again, "Hagen," he pleaded, "don't do this. Didn't you love her? "

"I did. Once. Then the stupid bitch broke my heart. She ruined my career. She deserves to die."

"Nobody…deserves to die," Horatio declared coolly, as he and Ryan move in on to the side.

"I told you to go! I told you, Caine. I warned you!" Hagen screamed, feeling cornered.

"John, it doesn't have to be this way," Horatio said soothingly, trying to coax him into calming down.

"You want her?" Hagen taunted, securing his grip on the blonde. "Go get her."

Sheer terror flooded the CSIs' eyes as they stood helpless.

Hagen picked her up, and threw her into the water. Unconscious, she floated momentarily, then began to sink as the air rushed out of her. The CSIs had worked enough drownings and floaters to know that she would begin to involuntarily suck in the murky water of the Everglades. Eric was the first to recover from the shock, and ran and dived, without thinking. Rapidly swimming, he reached her and desperately looked around for any sign of her. Hagen had managed to toss her a good three or four meters, a distance which Eric could swim extremely quickly.

Horatio and Ryan turned towards Hagen now, guns drawn, who sank to his knees in sick triumph.

"Just kill me," he smirked, paradoxical to his words. He wanted to die. His mission was over.

But Horatio and Ryan were too angry. Too righteous. Too driven for justice. Too merciless.

"You should've seen the way she screamed when I beat her. Poor, little Calleigh Duquesne. Always so brave. Except for when the gun was pointed at her. She's never going to wake up again. Can you handle that?" Hagen baited the two men, pushing them towards the edge.

Ryan was the first to lose it. He cared about Calleigh in a way that the others didn't. He truly respected her. After all, she was the one that trained him. Those few days without her made him realize how much the lab needed her. How much he needed her. His finger pulled the trigger. And Hagen let out a darkly satisfying yell.

The bullet hit him in the knee. The shot was impeccable. Calleigh would have been proud.

That's when Hagen realized, they weren't going to kill him. They were going to hurt him. Then throw him in jail to rot. And they had enough evidence for LWOP. Calleigh and her sweet Southern accent could turn a jury in a matter of minutes. He then realized something else. Something he hadn't in a very long time.

He was terrified.

**A/N R&R! Please and thank you! See, I told you updates would come more often. I just feel really, really, really, really, really, bad. Especially to all those people who faithfully reviewed. **** Sorry! I'll do better. Promise. **


	23. The Rescue

**A/N Hate me. Please, by all means. I suck royally. Here you go! I kinda screwed with the timeline. **

Horatio ran behind Hagen as he screamed in the pain at the bullet lodged in his knee, crouching and putting a gun to the man's head, in the traditional Caine style.

He leaned in close to Hagen's ear, "If the inmates don't kill you, I will."

The handcuffs he snapped on too tightly to the wrists that hurt someone he loved didn't seem to be enough to hold the evil within Hagen's soul. It wasn't enough for him, but he would have to settle. His attention turned towards Ryan, a wordless check on his mind and body. Their souls would all have to wait for some healing.

The splash of water drew the eyes of Ryan and Horatio, a soaking Eric carrying a limp Calleigh, his coughing hid only by the cries of an ambulance approaching. His hand clenched on her shoulder was no match for the blood leaking from her wound like his tears from his eyes. The other two CSIs ran to help him but he wouldn't let his hands leave her, clutching her like his last vestige of hope. Resigned, Horatio and Ryan ran back to the Hummer, following the wailing ambulance in a desperate trek to the hospital.

_The red letters on her digital clock flashed 12:12AM. She sighed. Work was going to be a pain tomorrow, and she really needed to get some sleep. She just couldn't. One of those days. Slipping out of her bed, and wrapping that plush pink blanket around her small frame, she padded into the living room, with quiet snores meeting her ears, bringing a small smile to her face. Leaning over the couch, she saw him, curled up on her couch, sleeping peacefully. Fixing his blanket, she continued to her kitchen, doing her best to be quiet when a low, rumble emerged. _

"_How come you get to midnight tiptoe?" _

"C'mon Calleigh. Stay with me, please, please. I need you. I'm sorry."

_She hoisted her purse over her shoulder, wincing slightly, not noticing his dark, concerned eyes looking at her from being her open locker door. Closing it, she looked up, surprised, placing a hand on her chest._

"_Jesus, Eric. You startled me."_

_He didn't say anything, asking questions they didn't need words to ask. His fingers slipped to the lapel of her jacket and pulled it aside, revealing the dark blue bruise that was forming, contrasting to her pale skin like the stripes in a prison uniform. _

"_I'm fine. Really. It doesn't even hurt." _

_He smirked. She thought she was a good liar. He raised his eyebrows, challenging her, with a quiet and slightly playful, "Oh really?", his sarcastic remark meeting a small smile and rolled eyes, as she walked past him._

"_Hey, supergirl?" _

_She turned, with raised eyebrows._

"_Catch."_

_Her good hand flew out to catch the ice pack, looking up to thank him, but he's gone before the words can leave her mouth. _

He rested his elbows on his knees, his hand still holding her limp one, praying silently in Spanish. "Not you, please, Calleigh."

_The image of her cocking a gun by her ear was almost too much for him to bear. The defeat in her shoulder, yet determination in her eyes. He knew her enough to know the concern was frustrating her…She shouldn't have anything to let people get concerned about. Her desire to prove herself was admirable in itself. She should know that she was accepted by her team in a way that she wouldn't be anywhere else. _

_The look in her eyes when she ran out the door gun drawn, was enough to break his heart. It was a little fear, something she never let through. He just wanted to take her in his arms and tell her it was going to be okay. Wishful thinking. _

_But that was the day he knew he loved her. _

"We lost a pulse, starting compressions."


	24. Heartbeats

**A/N So, eight months later and I haven't updated. This is becoming a pattern isn't it? Blame it on genetics and the IB program. I haven't had to time breathe, let alone write. I really do miss this story, so hopefully I can finish it up soon, and stop leaving it unfinished. Please review, if you want. Much love, CsI-aDdIcTeD. **

"_Lost a pulse. Starting compressions."_

White walls enclosed a room so desperately starving for happiness as the beeping of machines disturbed the uneasy silence. A limp hand held gently by two weary ones, silent prayers to angels of mercy.

He hadn't slept in two days. He hadn't eaten since Horatio had forced a bagel and coffee down his throat. He hadn't left the hospital since he pulled her out of the water. He hadn't prayed so hard since…Marisol's diagnosis. She hadn't woken yet, out of her medically induced coma the bruises, cuts, and bulletwounds covered by thick medical gauze. And yet, the damage to her mind couldn't be cushioned by any kind of bandaid.

Her breathing quickened and Eric looked up in concern before it returned to normal and resting his head on her thigh, closed his eyes, his hands still holding hers. He had almost lost her. The fear that sent electric shocks down his spine in time with the defibrillators. Each shock increasing the pain inside his heart. The doctor's face as they wheeled her out of surgery, pursed lips and a weary, almost forced smile. He was so tired of it all, wanting to holding her in his arms and taking her pain away. His unanswered kisses to her forehead, squeezes to her hand, whispered prayers.

_The team came every day. _

_Horatio was a stone. He would sit in that chair, letting Eric take a quick shower and forcing him to eat something, not moving, not crying, but grieving. Never betraying his internal torment to anyone, except the rare moments where he talked to his unconscious CSI. His bullet-girl. The one that forced him to go home at 12AM, the only one who could gently berate him and yet soothe his trouble soul. The girl who was his best friend, his side-kick, his back-up and his rock. Horatio never did have much luck, but had he known that one call from a Sergeant in Lousiana would have changed his life so much…he would've picked up on the first ring. _

_Ryan was a wreck. His training officer, his mentor, secret crush and friend, he always asked her in his quiet voice to come back. He wasn't ready to give her up yet, none of them were. His young mind filled with if-only's and what-ifs. Surprisingly, if there was anyone there for him the most, it was Eric. An unspoken bond between the two men had formed and although it didn't prevent arguments, they had each other's backs. The way that Speed, Eric and Calleigh used to. _

_Alexx was a worrier. Motherly battled medical instincts and she would talk her baby girl, as if she was alert. The sisterly, if not maternal bond between the two women had been cemented as soon as Calleigh had walked through that door. She was infectious, making Alexx look a little closer at the living, rather than only focusing on the dead. She was the glue, the lynchpin. _

_And yet, they all felt each other's pain, aguish, worry, anxiety. Duke had been pulled over and arrested for a DUI, Calleigh not around to bail him out anymore. They were her family, the only family she could count on. _

Eric sighed quietly, slipping a little further into a hazy, much needed sleep.

She struggled to lift her hand, succeeding and running her weak fingers through his dark hair.

His eyes snapped up immediately, dark brown meeting green and he kissed each of her fingertips before letting a tear trail down his face, in relief.

"Eric?" she rasped, a dry throated cough emerged from her worn throat, wincing at her ribs, slowly moving her hand to his face to wipe away the droplet coursing down his cheek.

A smile cracked his weary face, leaning over and kissing her passionately on the lips, looking at her seriously, not speaking for several moments.

"I'm going to go get the doctor, okay?" he said quietly.

Calleigh fought to quell the panic that bubbled inside of her. She didn't want to be alone, not right now. But if there was one thing she wasn't, it was weak. So she nodded her head, and took a few deep breaths. She looked around the hospital room, questions rising to the forefront of her mind. She didn't remember what happened. What if she never remembered? What if her arm never healed properly? What if she could never work again? What happened to Hagen? And Stetler? What if they got out of prison? What if something happened to Eric? Where was her team?

"Stop."

Calleigh looked up, confused.

"You're thinking too much, I can tell," Eric smiled small and came over to sit next to her again, "I called the doctor and she's on her way. How are you feeling?"

"I can't…I can't remember…" she said quietly, brokenly and Eric's heart snapped again. He stroked her hair gently, smoothing back the messy blonde tresses from her face and kissing her forehead again.

"Shhhh, it's okay. It's okay. It'll come back, slowly. Don't worry about that right now, okay? I'm here, and everything's going to be okay," he soothed his distressed girlfriend softly, murmuring quiet words of comfort as he rubbed her hand with his thumb.

The doctor walked into the room, and smiled at her brightly. "Hey, Calleigh. Glad to see you're awake. I'm Dr. Nita Jain, and I'm going to be taking care of you for the next little bit." The doctor did a preliminary exam quickly and asked her some more questions about her physical pain, memory, senses.

"We're going to get you out of here in no time," the doctor smiled, before gesturing to the man, "Eric, can I talk to you for a second?"

"Eric, she's still in bad shape. And she's going to need definite counseling. I want you to stay with her if you can, she obviously feels safer with you there. If anyone tries to kick you out, just page me, my number's by the desk. I'll be back soon to take her for some tests. Keep her calm, and just take it slow. And don't let her skimp on the pain meds, okay?"

Eric smiled at the doctor, nodding his agreement before thanking her and sitting on the edge of Calleigh's bed, lacing his fingers with hers. The connection passed through their fingertips and calming both of them, the smiles in their eyes and relief on their faces. They were completely in-sync, partners in work and life.

"I thought…I thought I'd lost you," he whispered, kissing her nose. She smiled the best megawatt smile she could muster.

"You didn't."


	25. The End

**A/N Okay, so something like…5 years later, I finally decide to finish this story. I am really sorry about the delay. I sort of fell out of love with the series and then found it really hard to finish writing all my CSI stories. However, here it is! The final chapter! I hope you enjoy. I'm not even going to ask you to review because I made you wait so long. Love – Inspire-Smiles**

Calleigh practically buzzed with nervous excitement. Finally, it was her first day back at work. Horatio had warned her she was to take it slow, no field work yet, but she didn't care. Four months later she was standing in front of that glass building that had become a second home. Two gunshot wounds, three surgeries, one infection, fifteen stitches, two painstaking amounts of intense physical therapy and a shrink later, she was back.

Her time in the hospital had been a scary one, and Eric had barely left her side,

_She woke up screaming his name from the nightmares and Eric had held her in his arms quietly comforting a hysterical Calleigh. The first time it happened, the nurses called him in from the waiting room and it shook him to the core. But after the third night the nurses agreed to let him stay with her. By the fifth, they wheeled him in a bed beside hers, and by the seventh, he just lay in her bed, holding her, woken every two, three hours by the night terrors exacerbated by the infection in her wounds. He gently moved her hair, slightly damp with sweat, away from the burning skin of her forehead. Had held her close as she sobbed quietly. And had pushed away her doubts and embarrassment and guilt. _

She loved him for it, but the guilt still ebbed in the back of her mind. She always did have trouble being taken care of. She had been discharged from the hospital, the nurses slightly relieved because in their line of work, "I'm fine" isn't a very helpful answer. But she was going stir crazy at home. Calleigh was fiercely independent and was filled with a growing anxiety to get back to normal, and especially back to work. But she was still having trouble with her arm in a sling and her leg in a cast. The scabs on her back from Hagen's belt hadn't quite healed yet. She tried to help but it never really ended up working, and she was frustrated. One night, after a particularly bad day of physio, she had snapped.

_Eric reached up to help her grab a plate, watching her subconsciously rub her sore ribs as her good arm lifted. He passed it to her, reaching up to grab a glass as well, "Need anything else?" _

"_I don't _need_ anything. I could have done it myself."_

_Eric raised his eyebrows, running his hands through his hair. He knew Calleigh's bad moods when he saw them._

"_I didn't mean it like that, but okay. You get it next time. Did you take your pain meds?" _

"_What are you, my dad? I already have one, thanks though. God, Eric. You don't need to coddle me all the time. I got by just fine by myself. I don't need you to remind me to take my meds every 2 hours, I don't need you to stay and make food, and I don't need you to check in from work. I might've gotten shot, but my brain is still working just fine! Why don't you just go home? I'm fine here."_

_It came out in a rush, and as soon as it left her mouth she realised what a horrible mistake she'd made. She bit her lip, and lowered her eyes, praying that he'd do exactly the opposite of what she had asked, but she knew that wounded look in his eyes. That was going to take some serious fixing. _

_He walked up to her and kissed the top of her head lightly, before silently walking out of the door. _

She had sat on the floor and cried. Cried tears of shame for the awful things she said, tears of frustration because she couldn't do any of those things by herself, tears of sadness because the Duquesne curse worked its magic again, and she had driven him away.

_It was hard on Eric too. His eyes were bloodshot and his smiles seemed a little more weary these days. He had had to go back to work once she got the okay from the doctor to be home alone. But he still worried. He still had his own nightmares. And between the job, his family who hadn't seen him in ages, and Calleigh, he was slowly breaking apart. He knew he shouldn't get frustrated when she said she didn't need him. He knew she did. Hell, she said she was fine and didn't need him even before she got hurt; that part wasn't anything new. But he was tired, and while she was his everything, he needed something from her too. He needed a 'Thank you'. An 'I appreciate it'. An 'I couldn't have done it without you'. He couldn't decide if that made him selfish, or just human. The doorbell rang, startling him out of his thoughts and he glanced over to the clock, raising his eyebrows as he read 11:49 in the glowing green numbers. _

"_Calleigh?"_

_She looked nervous, biting her lip and shaking out her damp hair, standing awkwardly with her crutches._

"_What are you doing – No, wait. Did you walk here? Calleigh, the doctor said –"_

_Calleigh smiled slightly, "I walked up to your door, if that's what you're asking. I took a cab, Eric," her smile fell, "I needed to apologize… I just can't believe I said all those things to you." _

_Eric sighed quietly, stepping back so she could step forward, prompting a rushed mumble, "It's late, and I'm sure you don't even want to talk to me anymore. I'll just go, the cab probably is just around the corner." _

"_Calleigh. Just come in." _

_They sat on opposite ends of his couch, staring at each other until Calleigh broke the silence. _

"_I'm so sorry, Eric. I didn't mean any of those things that I said."_

"_It's fine, Calleigh."_

_She shook her head, running her fingers through her hair, and feeling her eyes get moist, "It's really not. Honestly, Eric. You've done so much for me since…everything, and even before. You're just trying to help, and I know that, and I appreciate it so much. It's just that with physio, and the shrink and my damn ribs not letting me do anything…I'm so frustrated and I took it out on you." _

_Eric repeated again, "It's okay, Calleigh." _

_She stopped. "Don't tell me it's okay, because I look into your eyes, and I can see that it's not. Don't forget that I can read you too." She moved closer to him on the sofa so they were facing each other, and laced the fingers of her right hand together with her left. "You're not okay, I'm not okay. Don't think I don't see the bags under your eyes, or hear you wake up in the middle of the night from your nightmares. I do, I just don't know what to do. It's my fault you're even in this position in the first place. If it weren't for me, you wouldn't have had to go through any of this. The hospitals, the nightmares, the pills, all the work you've put in."_

_She held up her hand to silence Eric's impending interruption. _

"_Thank you. I appreciate it. I couldn't have done it without you…I love you." _

They had their ups and downs still, but she thanked her lucky stars every day that she had someone in her life as amazing as Eric was. He was her rock, he was her 'person'. And here she was. Back at the CSI building. She took a deep breath and stepped through the doors, when she felt a hand slip into hers.

"Hey, beautiful."

Calleigh smiled brightly, turning to look at Eric, "Hey yourself, handsome."

"Ready for your first day?"

She didn't answer as they walked together to her ballistics lab, stiffening slightly when she passed the interrogation room, avoiding the stares that the clear, glass walls did so little to prevent or hide. She thought she was ready, but actually being here made it real. Horatio saw them in the hallway and cut in to see them as they walked.

He actually smiled, "Calleigh. It's good to have you back."

"It's good to be back, Horatio. Were you lost without me?" she teased.

"Actually…you don't know the half of it," he replied back, but his voice had lost its playful tone. He paused, and sighed quietly, "Calleigh, you were out for four months, and the brass made me put a new ballistics expert in your position."

"They what?" Calleigh's jaw dropped, and turned to Eric, "How could you not tell me?"

Eric raised his hands, rubbing his face lightly, "I didn't know, Cal. I've been working nights since I came back to work."

"You've been what?" Calleigh exclaimed again, "Okay, we are _so_ going to talk about this at home. But for now, I don't have a job here anymore?"

"That's not exactly true," a voice came up from behind her. She turned to stare at the tall man who had joined their conversation. The man held out his hand for her to shake, which she reciprocated, allowing him to introduce himself.

"Jared Douglas, I'm from IAB. I'm not exactly sure what the title is yet, this has all happened rather fast," he smiled disarmingly, "I've heard your story, Ms. Duquesne, but I've also seen your results. You are undoubtedly an asset to this team, and I've talked to my colleagues and they've agreed to reinstate you, if you can prove that you are better than the current ballistics expert."

Calleigh just stared at him, ignoring the chill that 'IAB' sent down her spine. "Wait, so we're having a contest to see who gets the job?"

Jared began to squirm under the stare that the blonde officer had perfected from her father.

"I guess that would be a fair assessment."

Calleigh turned on her heel to walk in the other direction when Jared called out to her again.

"Ms. Duquesne? I know that you have no reason to trust IAB. None of your team ever has. But I promise you, this time we're on your side," he met her eyes firmly and then walked away.

Calleigh stood there for a few minutes, worrying her bottom lip, mulling over the idea of a competition. The corner of her lips turned up slightly and she looked at Horatio, "We're doing this now. I want my job back, and I'll go crazy if I wait any longer."

"Cal, are you sure that's a good idea?" Eric asked her, unsure.

"I didn't spend my days at home alone doing nothin'," she winked at him, leaving him bemused in the hallway. Looking at Horatio, he just shrugged and followed her down the hall.

Later that day -

Calleigh strode into her ballistics lab with purpose, politely shaking the hand of the tech of the…replacement.

"Let's just get this done, shall we?"

The lab tech, Luke, smiled confidently and cockily at her, undressing her with his eyes, despite her cool demeanour. _"This blonde chick actually thinks she has a chance." _he thought with disbelief. Horatio, Eric, and Jared joined the two competitors in the lab, and within the hour, the winner was proclaimed.

See, this man obviously hadn't heard of Ms. Calleigh Duquesne's reputation. The reputation that drew Horatio to Louisiana all those years ago. Calleigh could put a gun together faster than anyone Horatio had ever seen; she takes apart all the guns in her locker and puts them back together for fun. She has the most accurate and timely estimates of bullets and trajectories and she also is one of the best shots he's met. She just loves her job. Everyone on the team knew it, not just Horatio. She's a bullet enthusiast, if such a thing were to exist, and she practically defines 'don't judge a book by its cover'.

Luke didn't stand a chance. When the final part of the 'competition', the actual shooting part (which was her favourite by a long shot) finished and the posters came back, Calleigh had basically ripped a hole through the paper her shots were so precise. And through it all, his snarky jabs had only served to make him fall harder. "Do you want me to show you how to hold it?" was her favourite, although she was pretty sure she might have shot him at that point.

Horatio raised his eyebrows at the end of the hour with a small little smile he reserved for Calleigh only. "They don't call her Bullet Girl for nothing."

The men streamed out of her lab, Luke trailing behind Jared, who left with a quiet, "Welcome back to the team, CSI Duquesne.", and with the bang of the door she was alone in her lab. She smiled to herself, this is where she belonged and as a pair of strong arms wrapped around her waist and a chin rested on her head, her smile only grew.

Maybe they'd get married, maybe they'd break up and lose touch, maybe they'd start their own little family, or maybe they'd just go back to being friends. But it didn't matter. They were here now, no Hagen, no Stetler, no alcoholic fathers or sick sisters. Just them.

They had been thrown together by an insult from a deranged cop who hadn't quite unhinged yet. Separated by a vengeful IAB sergeant with a vendetta on his mind. And reunited by tireless effort by the team that they called a family. When the team got hit, they hit back harder, smarter, faster, stronger. She may have started her fight back in that gym all those months ago, but they finished it together.

They wrestled with crime, but their enemies landed flat on their backs on the mat; a mat of cinderblock and cement, the ropes on the ring steel bars with no escape.

Wind up…and takedown.

The End.

**And there you have it. The last chapter. Thank you so much to everyone who read this story, and especially to those who reviewed. It's been a crazy journey, and I'm pretty sure I hate the way I wrote 5 years ago, but I think that it's kind of interesting to see how people progress and age and how their writing shifts too. I love you all, thanks for an amazing ride! **


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